"Ray Donovan" is the kind of show I would usually like, but the writing is decidedly mediocre.

 

It's a tired, hackneyed premise that is executed to a far higher degree of competency elsewhere. A cast of mostly competent actors does their best to hold it together, but given the sub-par quality of the writing with which they are working, they never quite achieve the dramatic cohesion necessary to elevate a television production like this to the heights reached by shows of a similar ilk, such as those produced by people like Terence Winter, David Chase, Peter Gould, Vince Gilligan, et al. Ray Donovan is certainly no Mike Ehrmantraut!

 

The lead actors lack sufficient on-screen chemistry to give weight to the scenes; the supporting cast seems inexperienced and amateur; and the writing lacks verisimilitude and consistency.

 

This is not the first time I have tried in earnest to watch and enjoy "Ray Donovan," but I would rather re-watch any number of other, far better quality shows (Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, The Shield, The Wire, Oz, Boardwalk Empire, Fargo, Dexter, Deadwood, the list goes on) than waste any more time with this. Life is too short for such mediocrity.